From BLEACHER REPORT 2012:
5 Reasons the Yankees Should (and did) Sign the Latest Cuban Superstar
Adonis Garcia is the latest International baseball superstar to draw interest from several major league teams.
Among those teams are said to be the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees.
Hailing from Cuba, Garcia plays his ball in Venezuela and is viewed by many as a utility player with a solid bat.
Despite rumors that the A's and Yanks have intriguing offers for Garcia on the table, representatives from both organizations deny these claims.
Although no offers have been officially discussed, there is little doubt that the Yankees view Garcia as a player who could potentially contribute to their franchise.
Here are a few reasons why the Yankees should consider signing Garcia:
1) VERSATILITY: The first important factor to look at while evaluating Garcia is the idea that he could potentially play almost any position on the field.
His position varies on each roster and scouting website, with most caught between third base and outfield. Even MLB teams seem to disagree on what position fits Garcia best.
If the Yankees land Garcia, they are expected to use him as an outfielder. If the Athletics come out on top, they want to use him as an infielder.
What we can take from this is the fact that Garcia has been viewed by MLB scouts as someone who can play both the infield and outfield at the professional level.
Though he spent most of his winter ball in left field, Garcia has also been said to have spent some time at second base, shortstop and third base.
Even if the Yankees land Garcia as an outfielder, it wouldn't hurt to have someone who could potentially fill in at third base, shortstop, second base and perhaps even first base if need be.
2) QUALITY HITTER: The most recent scouting report that I was able to find was done by Juan Dominguez from PRO Rumors.
Dominguez describes Garcia as "a pure hitter who makes a lot of contact and has quick hands that allows him to drive the ball to the gaps."
He also says that Garcia is a contact hitter with a quick bat. At the same time, Garcia also has the raw power to drive the ball out of the park every once in awhile.
Dominguez believes that "If developed correctly, he could be a 15-20 HR's hitter in the Majors."
As a conclusion, Dominguez states that "if he's able to take more pitches and employ a better pitch selection, he could be able to hit above average and also hit for power."
3) HARD W0RKER: If there is one thing that many scouts and analysts seem to agree on, it's the fact that Garcia's talent is primarily raw.
By this, I am inferring that he possesses the skill set to be an above average player in the MLB, but he may require some fine tuning and training.
Luckily, my man Juan Dominguez from PRO Rumors also discusses Garcia's work ethic in his most recent scouting report.
This is what he had to say about Garcia:
"He's always focused in the game, and he is a tough competitor. Even though his defense betrayed him several times this season, he was always on top of things. He also seemed like a hard worker, or at least that's the impression he left here in Venezuela. You could say, to quote some of the old scouts, that he has 'the good face.'"
4) YOUTH (signed at 26), now age 30.
5) CHEAP. Yankees signed him for $400,000. Braves got him for minor league contract.
